When did you last see a polar bear(北极熊）? On a trip to a zoo,perhaps?  If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago,  you would have seen a whole polar bear club.  These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water.  That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a little higher.  The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60.  Members must satisfy two requirements.  First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club.  Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.

Doctors don't agree about the medical effects of cold-winter swimming.  Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops.  Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.

The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming.  They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm.  Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water.  A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.

　　The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental.The Polar Bears love to swim all year round;  they find it fun and relaxing.  As one 70-year-old woman says,"When I go into water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."

1.The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that_____.

A.they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

B.they must reach the age of 60

C.they should be easy to make friends with

D.they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

2.According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that_____.

A.Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

B.cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

C.you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

D.cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter

3.The Polar Bears like to swim year-round, for_____.

A.it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter          B.they can remain young

C.they find it enjoyable and interesting        D.they might meet fewer troubles in life

4.The passage is mainly about_____.

A.the requirements of the Polar Bear Club         

B. a group of cold-water-swimming livers

C.the Polar Bears' life in New York            

D. doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming

Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses（球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
【小题1】Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?

　　Taking pictures is fun． And taking good ones is easy if you follow a few simple rules． Before you snap a picture, think about it． Be sure you are close enough to your subject． A pretty face against a plain background, for instance, makes a good picture． But a distant figure lost among trees and clouds lacks interest． In a landscape scene, try to keep at least two-thirds of the picture below the line where the ground meets the sky． For a sky scene, keep at least two-thirds of the picture above that line．

　　Study pictures in newspapers and books． Try to see why some are better than others． Use what you learn to improve your own pictures．

1．This article gives some_______．

A．reasons for taking pictures　　B． differences between still and moving pictures

C．ideas for interesting hobbies D． hints for taking good pictures

2．The writer talks mostly about pictures taken_______．

A． outdoors B． by moonlight C． in color D． for newspapers

3． In the first example, the subject was probably a________．

A． car B． girl C． tree D． cloud

4．The subject of a picture should usually look_______．

A． close B． small C． shadowy D． shiny

5．In a landscape scene two-thirds of the picture should be_______．

A． sky B． clouds C． land D． horizon

6．You can improve your pictures by_______．

A．thinking about them before you take them

B．studying pictures in newspapers and books

C．snapping them as quickly as you can

D．Both A and B

7．The writer doesn't say anything about_______．

A．following rulesB． getting close to your subject

C．caring for your camera D． taking pictures of sky scenes

Tell your brother to come _____, because it's going to rain in a minute or two.

　　A. indoors    B. outdoors    C. outward    D. inwards

It is a typical case. A young professional has just moved to a new city. She is very active in her new job but wishes to meet people socially outside of work. How does she do this？

　　Signing up for a night class is always a good starting point. Not only is it an ideal way to meet like-minded people，it can also be a great new learning experience. Pubs and clubs can be a good meeting place but can be a bit hard if you are on your own.

　　Join a gym

　　GL-14 health club in Manchester city centre is a gym which also has lots of member activities outside the gym from charity fashion shows to dinner dances giving members a chance to socialize away from the treadmill（繁忙的工作）. Or if you want a gym with a difference，try a“Green Gym”for people who want to exercise but wish to be outdoors and doing something that will benefit the environment at the same time. The“work out”could involve such activities as practical conservation or gardening work. It’s a great way to get people’s heart and muscle working. And many agree that meeting other people and having a matter and a laugh is a big attraction of the scheme.

　　Reading groups

　　In the Reading Groups，Jenny Hartley suggested that there may be as many as 50，000 people in reading groups in the UK. They range from informal groups of friends or colleagues who meet in someone’s home or at the local pub，to discuss a book. If you want something a bit more structured，lots of libraries have reading groups and could have a broader group of members.

　　Statistics

　　The BBC recently conducted a survey called Going solo：single life in the 21st century. You can look at the overall results or search by area. It found that：

　　*69％ of people thought that the gym was a good place to meet new

　　*Pubs or clubs were considered to be good meeting places by 58％ of people in the UK

　　*68％ thought that work was a good place to meet people

　　*72％ thought that internet chat was not an ideal way to meet people

（  ）56．“Green Gym”in Paragraph 3 refers to an activity in which you can________.

A．have night classes with like-minded people

B．do something good for the environment on your own

C．discuss a book with other members at a pub

D．benefit the environment while doing outdoor exercise

（  ）57．Which of the following is a Green Gym activity？

A．Gardening work.         B．Chatting on the Internet.

C．A charity fashion show.    D．A dinner dance away from the treadmill.

（  ）58．What’s the most popular place to meet new people outside of work？

A．Pubs or clubs. 　B．The Internet.  C．The working place. D．The gym.